Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Green Bean Chicken

I decided to present for your dining pleasure one of our absolute favorite family recipes... Green Bean Chicken. A simple, hearty dish that will feed a family of four to six with ease! May it bring warmth to your stomach (and your heart) on this chilly December evening. As my health and energy continue to increase, I hope to be sharing more of our family favorites with you throughout the holiday season.

*We also enjoy making this recipe with one lb of chicken thighs, although it is of course fattier and so less healthy

How It Works...

Heat a large glug of olive oil in a four quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add thinly sliced shallots and sauté until they begin to caramelize. Next add chicken pieces (I cut up each thinly sliced breast into three equal portions) and sear both sides with the shallots, until the flesh is white on the outside but still pink in the middle. Add brown rice, bouillon and all whole (peeled) garlic cloves and bring to a boil. (If you are using tomato sauce with bouillon, add it now.) Once the liquid is boiling, add green beans (ends removed, remaining beans broken into 1 – 2 inch pieces) and all the quartered mushrooms. Dust with fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Stir well with a wooden spoon a few times to completely integrate chicken, rice and vegetables as they boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 45 – 55 minutes or until rice is fluffy and soft and vegetables and meat are moist and cooked through. Chicken should be so soft it falls apart at the touch of a fork when finished.

9 comments:

Hi! I have been meaning to call you for ever...Guess who has a wheat allergy - Isla!I'm so glad you found out what was going on and are on the raod to recovery! Now if you teach me to make wheat, soy and dairy free bread, I'll introduce you to all the wonderful soy lecithin free products I have found. Also, we've found that after a few months of absolutely no soy, Isla can now handle my eating a product with soy lecithin on occasion. Next time you are at trader joes pick up there organic choclate bars at the check out stand - they are soy lecithin free and are GREAT! I use them in cooking all the time.Next time you are at Henery's pick up Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening. A wonderful alternative to soy laden crisco.

Soy is so hard to avoid! As a vegetarian, about 95% of 'meat replacement' foods are derived from soy protein isolate. I learned last year a few of the downsides to soy products and made what I felt, an educated decision to cut back as much as possible. My husband, who has PKU, was also unable to eat the products I had come to rely on to provide my protein supplementation. After doing a little research, oils such as palm, corn, vegetable (soy), and canola are bad for your cholesterol and have many other bad effects on your health. In our house cooking is done primarily with olive or safflower oil. Baking always with butter or safflower oil. I definitely haven't gone as far as kicking all soy lecithin, but I do believe it is a wonderful and smart journey to take. Good luck and I am glad you have found peace, once again! Your blogging has been missed!

Thanks for mentioning the link between Hashimoto's, gut inflammation and gluten intolerance. Did you work with a knowledgeable internist, a nutritionist or a naturopath? I have been living gluten-free for a while now, and although I am feeling better, I am not back to 100% yet. I could use some assistance figuring out my other food issues.

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Important Disclaimer

I believe enthusiastically in the benefits of a gluten free diet but would like to clearly state that I am not a doctor. I do not have the ability to diagnose or treat gluten intolerance, Celiac disease or any other form of food allergy. My recipes and original content should not be interpreted as medical advice, and I am in no way qualified as a medical authority.

I'm just a wife and mother working hard to master gluten free cooking, sharing my experiences and recipes along the way. I hope you will enjoy them!